The Lived Experiences of Faculty Members with Disabilities in Turkish Universities: Implications for Higher Education Leadership and Management

Abstract

As one of the most neglected forms of diversity, disability often results in discrimination in a community. Nevertheless, more higher education institutions are working toward creating a more inclusive setting, even though they mostly regard students with disabilities, not much of faculty members. Thus, the study explored the experiences of faculty members with disabilities in working life in Turkish universities. In this phenomenological research, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 15 participants. Overall results showed that faculty members with disabilities mostly experience exclusion shaped by colleagues and institutions. Both positive and negative experiences of faculty depend on their colleagues, university, type of institution, type of disability, and mainly administrative attitude. To promote the full participation of faculty members into academic life, higher education leaders need to prevent exclusion and preclusion against the faculty members with disabilities and provide full accessibility.

Keywords

• Faculty members
• Disability
• Academic life
• Job satisfaction
• Inclusiveness

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